Just Going Through A Phase
by Oldlibrn
Summary: Vala's fed up with Daniel's emotions running hot and cold. One last push and she'll go over the edge and continue until she's off Earth.
1. Chapter 1

During the past few months Daniel and Vala had been skidding on and off the rails of their emotional roller coaster. They'd go from days of contented friendship almost seamlessly segueing into borderline flirting before hitting the cold wall of Daniel's fear and paranoia. He would start to pull away from Vala and move on to pushing her away.

Vala had poured her agony out to Sam and listened to her assurances that Vala needed to give Daniel space and time. After months of Daniel's asinine behavior Sam didn't feel confident enough to continue offering Vala comfort. Though Sam felt that in his heart Daniel did love Vala she was forced to agree that the situation was untenable and Vala shouldn't continue to enable Daniel's dysfunctional behavior. Though Sam didn't agree with Vala's plan to leave SCG once she finally gave up on Daniel.

"One last time, Sam. I swear this is it! The next time he crushes, whatever you can call this thing we have going on between us, will be the last." Vala laid her head down on the work table in Sam's lab.

"I know I sound like a broken record." Vala raised her head looking at Sam in confusion. "I'll explain about the record later. Though really there should be an update to that phrase. Technologically, records are a …" Shaking her head when she saw the even more puzzled look on her friend's face Sam continued. "I know. The science talk isn't helping. What I was going to say …" Sam stopped when she saw Vala's tears.

"Vala? What the …?"

"I'm sorry. You going off on tangents made me think of Daniel, which makes me frustrated which makes me cry." After wiping off her cheeks with the backs of her hands Vala smiled. "Go ahead Sam. I'm fine."

"Now you sound like Daniel!" Taking a deep breath Sam spoke rapidly. "I really think, no I know, that Daniel loves you." Catching Vala's glare Sam finished with "But you're right. It's unacceptable that he treats you like that."

"Okay. One last shot and then I give up." Vala was laughing as she left the lab. She and Daniel had been getting along so well for the past two days that she almost wanted it to be over so she could relax. Vala was convinced that the pain of anticipation was even worse than the horror of that moment when his eyes darkened and she felt him start to slip away.

First visit to P7X-238

SG-1 stepped through the Gate and found themselves on a dirt road leading towards what looked like a small village in the distance. To the right of the Gate were the ruins of a large stone building missing the roof and two of the walls. There were writings on the still standing back wall and piles of tablets on large stone tables. Daniel's eyes lit up and without saying a word he headed towards the crumbling threshold.

Mitchell spoke into the air where Daniel had been moments before. "Why don't you check that out Jackson? We'll head into town. Hopefully we'll find someone who can give us permission to check out the Naquadah deposits that showed on the scans." He turned towards Vala saying. "Keep an eye on our boy. And walk around the perimeter every so often will ya?"

Vala smiled wanly. She and Daniel were on a downward slide but he wasn't yelling at her to leave him alone, at least not yet. She waved good bye to Mitchell, Sam and Teal'c before walking around the back of the building. Vala thought she'd wait until Daniel was engrossed in his find before she went in to check on him. When he was happily working he never turned on her. It was during those moments that teetered on the edge of intimacy that he freaked out.

Teal'c, Mitchell and Sam headed down the road. Vala felt herself relax as she walked in the sunlight. There was a nice breeze and the temperature was warm but not hot. It was a perfect day for a stroll. She'd walked around the building twice peering inside to check on Daniel as she went past. The third time around the back she sat on a large rock. She could see all the possible approaches to the building and decided it would be safe to rest for awhile.

Her eyes flew open when a small hand touched her arm. They all teased Daniel when he said it but Vala hadn't been asleep. She was actually resting her eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. She saw the small face of a three or four year old boy with light brown hair cut in what the Tau'ri called a bowl cut. His eyes were a clear green and a little sad, his mouth formed a tentative smile. He was barefoot wearing a nondescript outfit of brown pants and tunic. When she returned his smile he grinned. Vala responded with an even broader grin and he did the same. Vala laughed as she asked him his name.

"It's Lauren. Where did you come from?"

Vala told him her name and she pointed at the Gate and waited for his response.

Lauren shrugged his shoulders. "Oh. I never saw anyone walk through there before. Did you come from afar?"

"Pretty far. How about you? Are you from the village?" Vala pointed down the path.

Lauren shook his head. "No. Not now. Not yet."

Vala wasn't sure how to respond to his odd answer when he gently laid his right hand on top of hers. "Will you play with me Vala?"

Vala stood up and took his hand. His smile was so sweet she caught her breath. Vala had tried to put the idea of children out of her mind after the debacle that was Adria, but she found herself responding to this sad little boy. As he smiled at her she could still see the sadness in his eyes, a sadness that she felt drawn to and felt she understood. He was lonely.

"What did you have in mind?"

Lauren pointed to the rock covered hill behind her. "Maybe we could climb way up there. At the top there are flowers we can pick."

Vala looked at the pile of rocks and realized that to a small child it must look like a mountain. She pulled the boy along with her towards the hill. They scrambled up slowly, with Vala keeping to Lauren's pace. The boy was right, there were wildflowers growing in a meadow at the crest. The two of them sat in the grass among the flowers and gathered bouquets. Vala had no trouble keeping her eyes on Daniel's ruin so she relaxed. Climbing had tired the small boy and he soon lay flat on his back.

Vala pulled out a water bottle from her pack and offered him a drink. He looked confused at the odd shaped vessel until she put it to her mouth and took a sip. This time Lauren eagerly grabbed it when she held it out to him. Rummaging through her pack Vala triumphantly pulled out a chocolate bar. Lauren stared as she unwrapped the candy and broke off two pieces. Once Vala put one piece in her mouth Lauren immediately reached out for the other one and brought it to his mouth. Before taking a bite he smelled the brown square in his hand. Smiling he took a large bite. As he chewed and swallowed his eyes lit up. Lauren's now smiling eyes made Vala feel happy. She grinned and lay down on the grass next to his small body. After a few minutes Vala decided that she should go back down to the ruin and check on Daniel. When she sat up so did Lauren. Before she could pull herself up to her feet he gently put his arm around her waist. She responded by putting her arm around his thin shoulders and gingerly pulling him towards her. She was shocked by how natural it felt to press his slight body close to her. Leaning down she stroked his cheek just as she would have Daniel's. Lauren loosened his hold on her as she stood up. Vala reached down and pulled him upright.

"I have to go back down and see my friends. Do you want to go back to the village?" Then she remembered that he'd said he wasn't from the village. Before she could say anything he pointed across the meadow.

"I have to go that way. I've been gone a long time. The others might be worried." He laughed. "They think I'm just a baby. But I'm not!"

Vala squatted down to look him in the eyes. "No. I don't think you are. But won't your mother be looking for you soon?"

When she said the word 'mother' the boy flinched. But a second later he gave her another huge grin. As he walked off through the flowers he waved goodbye asking "Maybe we can play another day?"

Vala smiled and agreed. "Maybe we can. I really hope I'll see you again Lauren." As Vala watched the small boy walk away she couldn't help from wondering if her fantasy of having children with Daniel could ever come true. She waved as she headed down the hill. Vala was still smiling when she entered the building or what was left of it. Daniel looked up when she came through the door and responded to her smile with one of his own.

"Vala, there you are. This place is fascinating. I've taken photos so I can spend more time working on it back in my office." He stood up and wiped the dust and dirt on his hands along the sides of his pants. "Where did you go? You look dirty."

"I was playing in the dirt with Lauren."

"Lauren?"

"Lauren's a little boy. He said that he wasn't from the village but he didn't say where he did come from."

Daniel smiled politely at her answer obviously anxious to return to SGC with what Vala called his cultural booty. "Are the guys back yet?" As soon as he asked Mitchell's voice came over Vala's radio.

"Hope you two are ready to leave. We're on our way back to the Gate. See ya in a few. Mitchell out."

In the Briefing Room SG-1 was discussing their visit to P7X-238 with General Landry. Daniel and Vala hadn't made it to the village so he asked the rest of the team to describe it.

Mitchell answered first. "Small. Quaint. Charming. A simple farming community but they do use some advanced technology. They have some source for electric power and running water. But no motorized vehicles. They were working the fields with some really ugly large domesticated critters."

Sam added. "I don't think they developed the technology. They just use it."

"SamanthaCarter, is that not usual for worlds that have been taken over by more advanced races and then abandoned?"

Vala chimed in. "Remember how the Ori had the people build spaceships for their war but let them live in hovels."

Mitchell continued "They don't use the Gate themselves but welcome traders. They're pretty poor so they don't attract much attention from the rest of the galaxy. The town's run by people they refer to as the Elders. I don't think they're formally elected just the typical group of the oldest and therefore hopefully wisest of the men in the village. Again as typical it's all men, no women."

"I'm excited about what I found on the walls in that building and the odd looking tablets. None of it is in Goa'uld so I need to learn more if I'm going to decipher the text. Then maybe I'll find a clue as to which aliens conquered them."

General Landry looked at Mitchell and asked "Anything else interesting?"

Mitchell answered "There's some weird kind of a wall. It starts along one edge of the village proper and crosses the fields and meadows creating a circular border. Maybe it surrounds a compound or something. I figure it was left by the aliens. It goes near the Gate but runs on the other side of some hills behind that ruined building."

"Lauren and I must have been playing close to it. I don't remember seeing any wall." Vala laughed and added. "Though I was keeping my eyes on Daniel's play house and the Gate. And the flowers and the boy."

Sam added. "A very strange wall. It appears to be some sort of cross between a force field and a semi-transparent plastic wall. Like very lightly tinted car window glass. It's hard to describe. It looks as if you can see through it but there's something odd about what you see. It's not exactly fuzzy but ... I'd liked to spend more time checking it out. The villagers acted very nervous when I approached it."

"Maybe when we go back you can run some experiments." Mitchell smiled as Sam's face lit up at the thought.

Teal'c added. "We saw no young children or babies. As if they were hidden from us. Perhaps they distrusted our presence."

Mitchell agreed. "Yeah, that seemed a little off."

Daniel smiled and said. "Well, Vala managed to find one. And spend some time rolling around in the dirt with him."

Vala smiled as she remembered Lauren.

"When we talked about mining the Naquadah they were concerned about our disrupting their peaceful village life." said Sam. "I didn't want to alienate them by asking too many questions."

The bottom line was that the villagers on P7X-238 were interested in trade and were willing to allow SGC to investigate mining. They'd no interest in mining themselves but would consider allowing SGC to mine in return for a percentage of the profit. The Elders requested time to discuss their decision with the whole village which they insisted was the only settlement on the planet. Curious that Lauren had said he wasn't from the village the decision was made to send SG-6 back to the planet to begin negotiations. In addition they would be accompanied by SG-13 who'd begin exploration of the planet for both additional Naquadah deposits and settlements. If there were other villages they'd make contact and arrange meetings with all the governments on P7X-238.

SG-1 had made arrangements with the Elders to return in three weeks and finalize any possible treaty. Thus giving SG-13 and SG-6 time to report their findings and negotiation details to SGC before SG-1's second visit. Meanwhile Daniel would work on translating the writings hoping to shed light on the history of P7X-238.

As the room emptied Vala continued to think about Lauren and how he'd reacted to her question about his mother. If his mother was gone maybe she could help take care of him. Vala was convinced she'd be leaving SGC soon, in spite of Daniel recent smiles on the planet as well as during the debriefing. When that time came, maybe she'd return to P7X-238. Vala had admitted to herself that she'd never love another man than Daniel. Maybe helping a child who was alone would provide some solace. And if Lauren's mother wasn't dead then Vala would help reunite them. When her mother had died Jacek was off-world. Vala had been left alone with her grief, unsure if her father would return for her. Vala knew she could understand Lauren's pain and loneliness whatever its cause and resolved to help him.

Three weeks later.

Vala burst through the door yelling "Daniel! Daniel! You'll never guess …"

Daniel looked up and with a sigh of annoyance and held his hand up palm towards her. "I'm sure I can guess. You're bored. I told you a few minutes ago that I was busy. I need to focus on this translation. It's extremely important and I can't concentrate if I have to worry about entertaining you."

An excited Vala dismissed his protests. "No. No. Daniel, you've got it wrong. You'll be happy when I tell you …"

Taking a deep breath Daniel cut her off. "I just don't have time for you right now Vala. Please just leave."

Vala tried again. "But, Daniel!"

Allowing his anger to show he interrupted her again. "I don't know how I can be clearer. Leave! Go! Get out!" He frowned at her and muttered "And please feel free to take your time coming back."

Vala closed her eyes and slowly turned and walked out the door.

Daniel added a final jab. "And I do mean take your time."

After she left Daniel started banging his head on the desk. He knew he wasn't being fair to her. She didn't deserve the way he treated her. When she'd burst through the door he'd looked up and the sheer sight of her face made him catch his breath. He knew he'd die if she stayed just as surely as he knew he'd die if she left. But he couldn't take the chance that she wouldn't want to stay. Daniel had to force her to leave so he could start to breathe again. Breathe and still hope that she would have chosen to be with him if he'd given her the chance.

Knowing what, or rather who, waited for her in the hall Vala slapped a wide grin on her face. There stood Sam, looking as embarrassed as Vala. They both tried to pretend Sam hadn't heard Daniel yelling. During the three weeks before their scheduled return to P7X-238 Sam had been at Area 51. She returned this morning and Vala knew Daniel would be happy to see her. They'd headed to his lab together but Vala had run ahead in her excitement to tell Daniel.

"He says he's quite busy. But I'm sure he won't be too busy for you. Go ahead in. I'll see you another time."

Vala hadn't been very good at disguising her reaction to Daniel. Sam could tell her friend was devastated by Daniel's behavior and humiliated that Sam had overheard him. Sam knew Vala wouldn't be able to stop herself from listening at the door hoping that Daniel would tell Sam he was too busy to see her.

Standing outside of Daniel's office Vala knew that no matter what he said Daniel would, at least, be polite to Sam. Probably he'd be glad to have her interrupt him and wouldn't even mention his important work. Still she stayed, unable to stop herself from listening.

Sam wanted to see Daniel but found herself hoping he would tell her to leave because he was busy. She knew Vala was listening and she knew Vala was going to be hurt. Sam didn't want that to happen.

Daniel looked up and grinned when Sam walked through the door. "Sam! My God! When did you get back? It's great to see you." Standing up as he greeted her he walked over and gave her a hug.

"Is this a bad time Daniel? You look busy." Sam mentally crossed her fingers.

"What? This?" he pointed at the papers on his desk. "Nothing that important. Nothing that can't wait."

There was a noise in the hall. Daniel looked towards the door.

"That's probably Vala. She wanted to tell you I was here."

Daniel smiled. "Oh. That's what she wanted me to guess. How was Area 51?"

"Same old same old I guess." Sam had to get out of the room and try and find Vala. "I'll catch up with you later. I've got some paperwork to finish before we leave the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, Sam. See you later."

Sam softly knocked on Vala's door. She heard someone moving around and then the sound of the door unlocking. Sam quietly let herself in. She could hear the sound of running water in the bathroom and sat on the bed waiting for her friend.

Vala came out drying her face. There was no sign of the tears Sam knew she'd shed. When she could see all of her friend's face Vala was smiling. It wasn't one of her typical megawatt grins and her eyes were red and puffy. But it was a smile.

"In a way I'm glad that happened. It's freeing in a way. I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do. But I do know that I won't be here."

Sam pleaded. "Vala. Please. Don't say that. Daniel didn't mean …"

"Didn't mean what Sam? It's not just what he says. You can't believe I should let him talk to me like that."

With a sigh Sam agreed. "I know. You're right. But I don't want to lose a friend."

"I won't be gone forever Sam." Vala's smile was gentle as she reassured Sam. "I spoke to Landry last week. He gave me permission to go on a "leave" for a month while I reconsider my commitment to SGC. I didn't mention Daniel but he's aware that there's a problem between us. A problem that's causing difficulties with the whole team."

"Did he say what would happen after that?"

"I was surprised. He encouraged me to return and if I still had problems being part of SG-1he'd find me a place, at Area 51 or maybe the Alpha Site."

"I'm sure everything will work out Vala. While you're gone maybe Daniel will…"

Vala took Sam's hands in hers. "I'm not doing this to get his attention. If I do return…"

At Sam protest she continued "Okay, 'when' I return. I'll make a life for myself here on Earth where my friends are. And just maybe Daniel and I can be friends when I've learned to deal with … I don't know what you'd call it. My affliction?"


	2. Chapter 2

Phased 2nd visit

Vala'd told Sam that it'd been a shock to realize that being heartbroken could be so liberating. She had no more anxiety, no more fear about how Daniel would push her away the next time they got close, no more trembling at the thought of her heart being broken. She simply had to stay out of Daniel's way until they returned from their mission. Once back at SGC she'd head out through the Gate for the start of her next adventure. Landry had agreed that she could leave later in the evening after Daniel had signed out. Sam would stay to wish her farewell. Vala planned to reveal her plans to Mitchell and Teal'c the morning before they left for P7X-238. She wasn't going to mention Daniel as the reason she was leaving, hoping they would pretend that everyone didn't know the truth. She also hoped they'd want to stay late that night along with Sam and say goodbye.

It wasn't hard to stay out of Daniel's office. Vala spent most of the day in her room deciding what to pack. Sam had offered to store what she didn't take with her. She knew it made Sam feel as if she'd definitely return to SGC. Not going to the Commissary was much more difficult. Daniel had no set schedule. Some days he'd eat three meals in the normal order at normal times. Other days he'd seem to forget to eat at all. On those days she always tried to make sure he ate at least once. She'd drag him out of his office complaining that she was starving and that he needed to keep her company.

Vala hadn't slept the night before and around 4:00 am she'd gone to the commissary and piled a tray full of her favorite foods to take back to her room for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Sam had promised to bring pizza to Vala's room for dinner. The next morning, before they left she'd eat breakfast with the whole team. And try not to think about it being the last time.

Daniel was anxious and he knew why. Vala wasn't around. At first he was happy. When Vala wasn't around he could pretend he didn't have a problem. That he wasn't in love with her and terrified by it. Daniel was convinced that if she knew she'd simply laugh and move on to her next conquest. The longer she was gone the more he realized that he couldn't bear to not have her in his sight and the cycle would start over. He had to have her near him but then he had to drive her away. Daniel couldn't breathe if she wasn't near him. Then he couldn't breathe if she stayed close. It was getting harder to convince himself he was sane. He'd been crazy before and he could feel himself slipping away.

SG-1 again walked through the Gate onto P7X-238. Daniel headed towards the ruins. Mitchell just pointed to Vala and gestured towards Daniel's back. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. He'd told her that morning he was going to make her work with Daniel the whole time they were there. Mitchell explained he'd heard Jackson was 'so cute' when he was playing Indiana Jones that she wouldn't be able to resist him. He was convinced with just a little more time the idiot would come to his senses and step up. Sam and Teal'c had both smiled expressing their hope for such an outcome. This morning Vala had told them of her plans to leave Earth and the guys were not happy. They were as unhappy as Sam but more angry. Vala had tearfully made them promise not to harm Daniel saying it wasn't fair to blame him for not feeling the same way as she did. Mitchell didn't respond to her argument but agreed it wouldn't help to actually kill the man she loved. Teal'c's eyes flashed but he spat out an agreeing "Indeed" to the whole not killing or maiming Daniel part.

Leaving their two friends behind Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell headed into the village. They carried a written proposal to present to the elders. The details had been worked out by SG-6 while SG-13 had explored the planet. They'd found no other settlements nor more Naquadah deposits.

Just as she had on her first visit Vala walked the perimeter a few times and then sat on the same rock. She hadn't realized how painful it would be to be on a mission with Daniel, knowing it was for the last time. Mitchell was right about the appeal of Indiana Jackson. Suddenly she pulled her pack off her back and dug through it looking for a piece of paper and a pen. Vala wrote a quick note to Mitchell telling him she was going back through the Gate. That she had more packing to do and was sure that Daniel would be safe left alone with his ruins. Folding the paper in half she wrote his name on the outside. Vala repacked her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

She stood outside of the ruins looking at Daniel. She could see him sitting in the dirt writing in his notebook. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear his voice one more time or just leave the note and slip away. Before she could decide he looked up and saw her.

"Is everything okay Vala? You look nervous. Sort of frightened. Did something happen?"

The look of concern on his face was genuine and it hurt. Vala told Sam that she didn't believe Daniel even liked her. It was a lie. When he looked her in the eyes at moments like this she knew that he loved her. But whatever held him back was too strong. Even now she felt him regret his reaction.

"Nothing Daniel. I decided that my being here is a waste of time. You don't need to be watched over. You're a capable adult and the natives are friendly. I'm going back to the Gate. Please give this note to Mitchell for me. I couldn't raise him on the radio." She handed Daniel the paper and touched his hand keeping her skin in contact with his just a moment too long. He gave her a puzzled looked but made no comment. Daniel had turned and was headed back to where he'd left his notebook when Vala called his name.

"Daniel, would you please give Sam a message from me?"

He nodded in agreement.

"Tell her that I went back and I'll just keep on going."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"No. I'm good." Vala turned to leave and over her shoulder she said "Take care Daniel."

Vala kept on walking. She didn't want to take a chance on him asking her a question or calling her back. Her tears had started and once out of his sight she ran towards the Gate. Vala wasn't sure Sam would understand what she meant by "keep on going." She wanted to let Sam know that she hadn't changed her mind about leaving. Vala decided not to worry about it. She'd see Sam tonight for pizza and talk. She stopped to catch her breath and wipe her face with her hands and heard a noise behind her. Vala turned and there was Lauren. She bent over so that she was at eye level with the small boy.

He smiled at her and then noticed her face. "You've been crying. I'm sorry." He came closer and standing on tippy toes put his two little hands on either side of her face. "Please don't cry. I'm here. I can make you feel better."

Vala smiled. "You just did Darling."

Taking her hand the small boy pulled her along with him. "Come back with me. All of the other children want to meet you. I told them how you played with me. Some of the older ones didn't believe me. But all of them wanted to believe. To believe that a grownup could care."

In spite of what she'd written in her note Vala had no packing left to finish. She was as ready as she'd ever be to leave. There was no reason she couldn't spend some time with her new friend. Maybe she could discover what he meant when he said he wasn't from the village since SG-13 reported that they hadn't found any other settlements.

"That sounds like fun. I'd love to meet your friends. Let's go." She let him pull her along towards a pile of rocks. He let go of her hand and started to clear away an entrance. It was an underground passage, a tunnel that went under a small hill. Lauren slipped through easily while Vala had to wiggle the last few feet.

In minutes they were both standing in a meadow. Lauren was covering up the opening with rocks and branches. He looked up at her. "The older kids don't think I should go on the other side of the Wall. They think I'm crazy and that I'll get hurt. But I don't care. I don't really like it here."

Vala looked back towards the ruins. She could barely see the crumbling walls. They seemed further away and there was a sort of shimmer around the building. Vala remembered Sam's description of the Wall. Maybe the two sides of this Wall were somewhat, just not completely, out of phase with each other. She decided to discuss it with Sam when she went back. "Lauren, where exactly is here?"

The boy laughed and skipped off across the meadow. Vala laughed in return and followed him towards a small grove of trees.

The meeting with the Elders had been a success. SG-1 was returning with a signed treaty and mining agreement. Daniel and Mitchell stood by the Gate as Sam dialed home. Mitchell was reading Vala's note. He looked puzzled and then, once he finished reading, upset.

Daniel wasn't watching and didn't notice his reactions. He turned to Sam having just remembered Vala's message.

"Sam. Vala left a message for you."

"She left another note?"

"No. She asked me to tell you that …" obviously trying to recall Vala's exact words he smiled and said "Tell her that I went back and I'll just keep on going."

"Are you sure Daniel? That's exactly what she said?"

"Word for word. Why? Is there something wrong?"

Sam exchanged glances with Teal'c and Mitchell. She asked Mitchell what Vala's note had said.

"That she had some packing to finish up and she was sure Daniel would be safe without her."

Mitchell sounded angry and Daniel assumed it was because Vala had left him alone. "She's right. I was fine. There was no reason for her to stay around."

"That's sort of the problem isn't it Jackson? Let's go guys. I'd like to catch up with her."

SG-1, minus Vala, left the Infirmary after their routine medical exams. Daniel headed to his office. Once he was out of sight Mitchell asked. "Do you think she left as soon as she got back? I really wanted a chance to say goodbye and another chance to talk her out of it."

"Indeed."

"I think we should look for her. I can't believe the Princess'd just leave like that. She's the one that asked us to stay and say goodbye. Do you have a key to her room Sam?"

The three friends stood in the doorway. The room was empty except for three large boxes taped shut, labeled with Sam's name and the word storage written in black magic marker. They had no way of knowing that Vala's leather traveling bag, with her leather coat, had been stuck in the corner of the Briefing Room. Vala had planned on saying a quick good bye to the Control Room and Gate Room staff on her way off Earth.

Sam was insistent. "It'll be okay. She's going to come back. Landry gave her a month but told her she could return anytime and he'd give her any job she wanted. I pushed for Area 51. I think we'll see more of her if she isn't stationed off-world at the Alpha Site."

"What about coming back to 'The Band'?"

"She didn't say no. Actually she said maybe."

Mitchell and Sam exchanged hopeful smiles.

"Then perhaps we shall hear from ValaMalDuran soon."

Daniel hadn't expected to see Vala the day they got back. Maybe not even the next. But it'd been two days. The day before the mission Vala had been purposely staying out of his way. During the mission she'd been quiet but she wasn't sulking. She'd seemed a little upset when she left early but she'd smiled when she gave him her messages to pass along. Usually she didn't stay angry for much more than a day. He'd offer a sincere apology which she'd accept. Daniel had gotten used to the rhythm of their game. Though he feared this time she'd stay angry for much longer. Their last run in had been the worst in months. Sam had been very angry and upset with him. He knew he'd disappointed Sam and not for the first time. Vala must have been doubly hurt that Sam not only knew exactly what had happened but actually witnessed his latest disaster.

Daniel thought about confiding in Sam but he thought once he spoke out loud about Vala he couldn't pretend any longer. Pretend that he didn't love Vala. Pretend that he wasn't pushing her away trying to test her love. In spite of how he acted Daniel wasn't really an idiot. He knew that Vala loved him. He just didn't believe that she'd stay with him. He didn't believe that he deserved her love and she certainly didn't deserve the tragedy that seemed to follow the people he loved. He also knew that there was just so much abuse she would take before she was gone, leaving him as miserable as he deserved.

It was the morning of the third day after their last mission. The SG-1 team, minus Vala, was eating a quiet breakfast. No one had mentioned Vala during the meal. As they finished eating Daniel tried to sound nonchalant as he asked if they thought Vala might make it to lunch.

Mitchell choked on his corn muffin. Coughing he looked at Sam and Teal'c. All three of them were asking themselves the same question. Could Daniel really not know that she'd left?

"I doubt that ValaMalDuran will have returned to Earth by then."

Daniel looked confused. "What do you mean 'returned'?"

With no expression Sam explained. "Vala left as soon as she came back through the Gate from P7X-238. Two days ago."

"Left? Left where?"

"DanielJackson, ValaMalDuran has taken a leave of absence from SGC while she determines her future direction in life."

"What do you mean 'leave of absence'? Why would she do that? Why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't she tell me?"

"Are you kidding Jackson? Why the hell do you think she left?"

Daniel was going to insist that he had no idea why Vala would leave, but it would have been another lie. Daniel thought it might be time to stop lying to his friends and to himself. His elbows were on the table and he held his head in his hands. "I went too far didn't I? And now it's too late."

His friends had no sympathy for his anguish. Teal'c, Sam and Mitchell stood up together. Before they left the table General Landry approached them.

He had a large smile and nodded to them. "So Dr. Jackson, you did come to your senses before it was too late. Congratulations. I knew you weren't stupid enough to let Vala leave. Take my advice and don't waste any more time. Life is too short. When you're in love …"

Sam interrupted him. "What do you mean, Sir? Vala left the day before yesterday."

"She certainly did not. Walter had strict orders to let me know before she left. I wanted one last chance to talk her out of it. Surely you don't think Walter screwed up?"

Mitchell looked at Sam and asked "Did you know she was still here?"

"No. I haven't seen her since we got back. Actually I haven't seen her since the morning we left for P7X-238. That was two days ago."

"Report to the Briefing Room in 20 minutes people. I intend to find out what the hell's going on around here."

Together Sam and Mitchell replied "Yes, Sir"

"Indeed."

Teal'c, Sam and Mitchell sat around the table and General Landry stood in the door with Walter. Walter was nervous and Landry was angry. Vala's bag and coat were on the table.

"It seems that Vala Mal Duran never returned to SGC. And somehow that little fact fell between the bureaucratic cracks. It isn't clear yet how that happened. But there will be an investigation." He glared at Walter as he spoke.

Sam spoke first. "We all knew she planned to leave that evening and when she sent me the message that she was going to 'keep on going' I assumed she was coming back here and leaving early. When I didn't see her around I thought that she'd already been here and left."

"Indeed."

Mitchell added "That's what I thought, too. Maybe she gated directly from P7X-238 to wherever the hell she was going."

Daniel protested pointing at the table. "But why would she leave without her stuff?"

"I'll check the Gate logs from here to make sure she didn't gate out with another team as soon as she arrived back at SGC. If Vala wanted to leave as soon as possible it might have seemed the easiest way if she wanted to avoid us. I know she didn't have a specific destination in mind. SG-13 is still on P7X-238. I'll contact them and have them send me the DHD data from the Gate there. I should have some answers in a couple of hours." She stood up, excused herself, and left the room.

"We'll meet back here at 2100 hours." Landry turned on his heels and left. A terrified Walter scurried after him.

"What you're telling me, Colonel Carter, is that Vala never left P7X-238."

"Yes sir. As far as I can tell that's correct."

Daniel stood up and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going Dr. Jackson?"

"To P7X-238. To go get her."

"Not so fast, son. Does anybody think the villagers are responsible for her disappearance?"

Sam and Teal'c answered together. "No."

"Do you agree Colonel Mitchell?"

"That one Elder creeped me out and I don't think they were telling the whole truth about the Wall. But they didn't strike me as criminals or evil bad guys. I can't think of any reason why they'd want Vala. They aren't crazy about us spending time in their village but they sure do want the money they'll get with the treaty agreement."

"SG-1, I want you to be ready to go through the Gate at 0600 hours tomorrow. I suggest you go fully prepared, including weapons. We have no idea what you might find."

SG-1 stood in the Gate Room preparing to leave for P7X-238 for the third time. The three of them were looking anywhere but at each other. Mitchell spoke first. "Does anyone else have a bad …"

He was interrupted in midsentence by Sam. She punched him in the arm. "Do not finish that sentence. You've read enough mission reports to know better."

Teal'c gave him the faintest of Jaffa dirty looks. "Indeed, ColonelMitchell."

Daniel hadn't heard any of it. He was distracted by the feeling of dread that he couldn't dismiss. If he'd heard Mitchell he might have done more than punch his arm. The last Chevron locked and they walked up the ramp into the Kawoosh.


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel felt his heart pound as they approached the village. A village he'd never seen before. He started to sweat, his hands began to shake and unshed tears burnt his eyes. It was a dead ringer for Ver Isca and he couldn't stop seeing the image of Vala burning. SG-1 entered the village square and stopped the first person they saw. It was Geron, one of the elders who'd negotiated with them. He was a short, skinny old man with grey hair. He smiled and nodded obsequiously at Sam. Mitchell had taken a dislike to the guy during their negotiations insisting he didn't trust him and calling him mealy mouthed. Daniel had spent both visits in the ruins and hadn't met any of the villagers. Even though he was anxious to find out what they knew about Vala, Daniel decided to let Sam and Mitchell speak to the man.

"We're looking for our friend. Her name's Vala Mal Doran. She was here on our both of our visits but stayed in the old stone building by the Gate." Sam gestured to Daniel. "This is Dr. Jackson; he's the scholar you allowed to investigate the building. Vala left before the rest of the team. She was headed for the Gate but when we returned home she wasn't there. We've discovered that she never left your planet."

Geron looked uninterested and insisted no one had seen the woman. Mitchell thought he was lying, trying to hide something. He had a bad feeling about Geron and glared at the old man. Daniel started on a detailed description of Vala but before Daniel could finish the old man repeated "No one has seen her."

As he turned away Daniel said "She spent some time playing with a child the first time we visited your planet. Surely someone would know the boy. I don't know how old he was but his name was Lauren."

A small group of women, smiling and laughing, were walking by; they carried woven baskets and appeared to be shopping. Daniel barely looked at them. Just enough to see they were dressed like the women of Ver Isca. One of the women looked about thirty, thin, with a pretty face and flashing green eyes. Her long brown hair hung down her back bound in one thick braid. She'd been laughing but when Daniel said the name Lauren she cried out. Geron grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away from them. She threw herself onto the ground and on her knees she looked pleadingly up at Daniel.

"You've seen him? How is he? He just left a few months ago. Please, sir. I beg you. Where is my baby?" Tears were streaming down her face as she pleaded with Daniel. Geron and another older woman put their arms around the young woman's shoulders and pulled her up. Geron hissed "Be quiet. You know it isn't possible. Lauren couldn't have come through the Wall. He's too young. He'll return when his Inbetween Time is finished. Just as it's always been."

The woman continued to cry. "But their friend, this Vala. How could she know his name?" Turning again to Daniel, tears spilling from her eyes and running down her cheeks, she asked. "Did she tell you what he looked like? Please! I need to know."

Daniel said to her, "I don't know anything else. Just that he was a young boy. They played in a meadow and picked flowers."

Sam spoke up. "He was small, thin, with thick brown hair and bright green eyes. His pants were brown and he wore no shoes."

The woman smiled. "That's him. That's my Lauren. Any excuse to take off his shoes and run through the grass."

Daniel looked surprised at Sam's description of the boy. She quietly told him "Vala was very taken with Lauren. She said he had sad eyes and looked lonely, as lonely as she felt."

"Lonely? Why would Vala feel lonely? She has a whole base full of friends." He looked at his friend and when they didn't answer his voice got louder as he insisted "She has us! She has me!"

"Does she DanielJackson?"

Daniel felt guilty but ignored Teal'c and continued questioning the woman. "I don't understand. Where's your son? Tell me how to find him. Maybe Vala's with him."

Geron pulled the woman away guiding her towards a nearby house. "You should lie down and rest, Myir. These outsiders are confusing you."

Daniel stepped between Myir and Geron. "Geron, what did you mean by 'he couldn't have gotten back'? Where did he go?"

Geron put his hand on Daniel's arm as if to push him away. "This is not your business. We told you that you could not stay if you interfered with our way of life. If you do not leave we will revoke the mining agreement."

Suddenly Myir shoved Geron, pushing him to the ground. There was now a small crowd gathered in the square. No one helped Geron as he slowly got up. The young woman, Myir, turned to the villagers. She was agitated and yelled "Their friend met Lauren. She played with him. He must have come back through the Portal."

One of the men asked in a trembling voice. "Did they see my Rina?" Turning to Sam he began to describe his child. "She has yellow hair and blue eyes. She smiles and laughs all the time." His face fell. "At least she did before she went through the Wall. She's been gone for three years now."

Mitchell had been listening closely. "Okay Geron. Spit it out. What's happened to these children?"

Myir looked closely at Mitchell. She felt this man would be willing to help her if she could make him understand. These outsiders had come through the Gate. Their friend had seen Lauren. She felt she should trust them. The man's eyes were kind and she could tell he was concerned about the children.

"Geron, tell them about the Wall."

"No, they do not understand our laws. If we try and change the rules our lands will be destroyed."

The man who'd asked about his daughter spoke. "Myir is right. Tell them. Maybe they can protect us from the Unknown Ones."

Another man in the crowd yelled. "If the Unknown Ones are still watching us. Maybe they have gone. It has been many years since they last destroyed our land with their fires. No one still alive has seen them. My grandfather's father never saw them. But you, Geron, and the rest of the Elders teach us that we must obey these laws or be punished."

"Everyone will be punished! Not just the ones who don't obey. You must not talk like that. You will have our planet destroyed for your selfish desires. You do not respect …"

Mitchell raised his hand to stop Geron's rant. "I'm sure you can tell us about this Wall without breaking any rule. Help us understand how you live. Where are these kids?"

Myir and Rina's father spoke together. "Tell them."

Geron looked nervous but agreed. "I will explain but nothing must change. We must protect ourselves." He glowered at Mitchell but grudgingly began to speak.

"The Unknown Ones are powerful and cruel. Many generations ago they came here and took our children into that building by the Gate. When we tried to stop them they punished us. They killed many people with their fire. They burnt our crops and destroyed our land. We were given the rules to follow. Not all of the children were returned. Only the very young. We were told that when they became spirits they were to be sent through the Portal. And that they would return to us when they were finished with them. So the cycle began. When the children develop their ability they must enter the Portal. They return after their "Inbetween Time" and they are once again fully human. There are those that said no children returned until after the Unknown Ones left our world. But that cannot be true. As long as we obeyed the laws our children have come home. The warnings of the Unknown Ones were made clear. They demonstrated the consequences of our disobedience. You can see the great circles of burnt ground on our most fertile farm land. We must continue to obey or they will return to punish us. Nothing grows on that land and our children continue to be cursed. That is proof of how great is their power even now, so many years later."

Mitchell encouraged the man to continue. "Before we get to this Wall business just what is this curse?"

Rina's father attempted to explain. "The ability starts when a child is between three and four years old. Once the Elders are aware of the child's development they are taken to the Portal in the Wall and sent through. They start the Inbetween Time. The child will return through the Portal around twelve years of age. Their ability will have faded and their memories from the Inbetween Time will be lost once they are home. They can't tell us about life in the Inbetween, but are healthy and unharmed. In the first few minutes after they return some are able to pass messages to the parents of younger children still behind the Wall."

Teal'c asked "Do all of the children return?"

The only answer was an old woman who began to cry and was comforted by her friends.

Mitchell asked. "What the heck is this 'ability'? And why does it make you lock them up?"

Geron protested "We do not lock them up. They pass into the Inbetween Time. As all must do before they may return, no longer a danger, ready to rejoin their people."

"So, help us out here Geron. Tells us more about this 'ability'."

The old man was shaking in fear. Constantly looking back over his shoulder as if the Unknown Ones would appear and strike him down. "They become spirits and are no longer fully human. They come and go as they please and we are unable to control them."

Daniel entered the conversation "Just what kind of bad things do these kids do that you need to control them? Are they violent?"

Myir laughed. "Lauren didn't like to take his bath. He would sneak away through the wall of the bathroom and return with his younger brother and place him in the tub."

SG-1 looked confused. Sam spoke first. "What was so dangerous about that?"

"I thought it was very clever. Even his brother would laugh when he found himself in the tub. But one of the neighbors saw him and called the Elders."

Rina's father defended them. "They have been told that to let a child who is a spirit stay on this side will incur the anger of the Unknown Ones."

"Maybe if there were Elders who were mothers things would have been different." After Myir spoke there were mummers of agreement from the other women in the crowd.

Mitchell asked Sam. "Do you think they're going in and out of phase at will?"

Sam shook her head indicating that she didn't know and continued to ask questions. "How did he bring his brother through the wall? Was the boy old enough to have developed his own ability?"

Geron explained "Such a child has only to keep their body in contact with another and they can move as spirits along with the child."

"Will it work if they just hold hands?" asked Daniel.

"Yes, that would work."

"That must be how Lauren got Vala through the Wall. She'd have gone with him willingly."

Sam disagreed. "I don't think they can return through the Wall once they're inside. I can't imagine there hasn't been a toddler who tried to run back to their parents if they could go back through the Wall. Lauren must have found another way to come and go. He must have been able to get into this world without coming through the Portal in order to spend time with Vala."

Mitchell looked confused. "How does this Wall work? I didn't see anything along the road."

Myir tried to explain. "You can see nothing until you are very, very close. Even then there is just a shimmer. But it is like the Portal if you try and walk through it. You can't."

"So you can see through it. Do you ever see any of the children?"

"Never. And through the Portal everything is black."

"Maybe he went under it. Sam, what do you think this wall is made of?"

"I need to take a look at this Portal. Geron, would you please take me."

Geron glared at Sam. "No. That is not possible."

Myir spoke. "I will take you."

Sam followed the woman into a large building across the village square. It looked like a meeting hall and at the front of the room was a large doorway. Behind this portal was a shimmering black surface.

"Well, it's a force field of some kind. I'll need to spend some time checking it out before I can give you any definitive answer."

Daniel walked up and stuck his hand into the darkness. A loud hum was heard and he was instantly thrown backwards as if he'd received a strong electrical charge. He stood up and waved off his friends saying "I'm fine. It didn't even hurt."

"Somehow it recognizes that you don't have the ability. Has this happened before?"

"At times parents have tried to follow their child. But they are no more successful than you. Even though they have seen it happen many times before, still they try to follow when it is their child."

Mitchell turned to Teal'c. "That's not any big surprise. If anything I'd be surprised if parents didn't try every time."

"Indeed, ColonelMitchell."

Geron explained. "It is the role of the elders to restrain the parents at the time of the passage through the Portal."

"Yeah, but I bet some of them make it to the Portal in spite of your 'restraint' don't they?"

"I'll have to go back to SGC and return with some instruments and tools. I need to take some readings so I can try and figure out what's going on. I can't tell anything definite without more information. Maybe it's genetic. But then why would they lose the ability as they grew older? They appear to travel through solid matter which may be a type of phasing ability but they still stay in this reality. Maybe there's a damping field behind the Wall. I need some time and maybe Dr. Lee to give me a hand."

"I'm starting to believe that building wasn't a temple or a library or a gathering place. I couldn't make sense of it before but now I'm wondering if it was a laboratory. A lot of bad guys took a shot at genetic modification and good old fashioned human experimentation. There were a few sheets of what I thought were polished stone covered with text. I was only able to decipher a few lines. There was mention of something not going correctly and giving up, abandoning their work. They left for another planet to try again. It didn't occur to me that it referred to a scientific project."

Mitchell was angry. "So, they just left the guinea pigs on their own, trapped in the maze they created?"

"I doubt they even thought about them. They had no reason to stay and no interest in these people's lives. They intimidated them into submission but I don't think they cared what happened after they left. I'd like to take a look at the damage they did to the land as part of the intimidation." Sam spoke to Geron "Could you show me on the way to the Gate? Just a quick look?"

Myir smiled at Sam. "You do not need him. I will take you there."

Myir showed them a path off the main road between the village and the Gate. Geron and Myir followed SG-1. Myir had a hopeful smile on her face while Geron glared and muttered to himself about curses and punishment.

Soon Sam was squatting next to a huge circle of scorched earth. "I think this was caused by a blast of intense heat. The ground has been turned into what appears to be glass. If I had to I'd guess it was pretty old. It's hard to determine age on other planets. How long has it been since this happened?"

Geron hesitated before replying. "According to our records it has been thirty lifetimes."

Daniel began to calculate. "Using a rough estimate of twenty years per generation that's close to 600 years."

Mitchell said "You know guys. There's a pretty good chance they ain't comin' back any time soon."

Sam stood up. "Let's not worry about that now. I need to get back to my lab and grab some stuff. Then we can come back and try to get through that Portal." She looked at Daniel's expression and added. "Then we can find Vala. I'm sure she's in there playing with all those juvenile delinquents."

"Maybe I should go back and try walking through it again."

"Daniel, if it hasn't worked for all those parents over the years why would you think it would be any different for you?"

"Because Mitchell I …"

"What? Because you love her? Believe me those parents all loved their kids just as much. Now back to the Gate and make it snappy we've got a rescue mission to set up."

"Indeed."


	4. Chapter 4

SG-1 stood at the Gate preparing to go back to SGC to report to Landry and for Sam to gather her equipment. They were explaining to Myir that they would return soon to continue the search for Vala.

Daniel looked unhappy and was quietly arguing with Mitchell about going back. "I really think I should stay here. Maybe I can find where Lauren got through the Wall the first time he met Vala."

"Where would you start Jackson? Do you even know where she was when she met the boy?"

"It had to be around the back of the building. I saw a hill covered in flowers and she said they picked flowers together." With a stubborn look on his face Daniel insisted "I'm going to walk along that damn Wall until I find where they went." He walked toward the path that circled the ruins. Myir quickly followed him.

Mitchell exchanged looks with Sam. She shrugged and said "It can't hurt to take a quick look before we go back."

"Indeed!"

"Okay. Wait up Jackson. Let's organize this search a little."

* * *

><p>Sam directed them. "Everyone walk along the Wall, try and make sure it's intact. Look for any possible breach."<p>

Myir was following the Wall as it went over a small hill. She had been kicking at the base of the Wall and suddenly her foot went under and through. She yelled "Here! Come see! There's some sort of hole down here at the bottom."

Then Daniel was on his knees pushing down into the dirt with his hands moving small rocks from the base of the Wall. Soon he could see that they'd been pushed in from the other side, probably to cover the hole so it couldn't be seen from either side. Once the opening was completely cleared of rocks and rubble they saw a small and narrow tunnel. There was a faint light coming through from the other end.

"My Lauren could have gotten through there easily. How about your friend Vala?"

"She's pretty small." Daniel asked Sam "What do you think?"

Before she could answer Mitchell offered his opinion. "If she wanted to get to the other side you can bet she could squeeze her skinny alien ass through there with no problem."

Teal'c immediately spoke up "I respectfully recommend ColonelCameronMitchell that you do not repeat your words to ValaMalDoran once she has been rescued."

"Good point, Big Guy."

Daniel and Myir were their knees pulling at rocks to widen the opening. After a few minutes it was wide enough for Daniel to shimmy through. Before Myir could follow Mitchell reached in and handed Daniel a P-90. "Just in case, pal. Phasing might not be their only ability." Then Mitchell moved back enough to allow Myir to follow Daniel.

They had crawled through the tunnel and after pushing some more rocks away at the other end were standing in a meadow. Looking back they could barely see SG-1. It was apparent that they couldn't see Daniel and Myir inside the seemingly transparent Wall.

Myir started to yell "Laur …."

Daniel put his hand over her mouth and in a loud whisper told her. "I need you to stay with me. And you have to be quiet. I have no idea what to expect and I'm not taking any chances with Vala's safety."

When Myir didn't respond he told her. "If you don't I'll push you back through that hole. Do you agree?"

The woman nodded and Daniel removed his hand. They walked slowly to the top of the hill. From there they could see a few buildings in the distance. They walked quietly towards the settlement. Getting closer they heard singing coming from a small clearing in a group of trees to their right. As they quietly approached Daniel and Myir both held their breath at the scene in front of them.

A woman with long black hair loose around her shoulders and wearing a simple pale blue dress sat on the grass. Her full skirt was spread out around her and a small boy lay with his head on her lap. The woman was stroking the hair of the sleeping child.

Daniel saw immediately that the woman was Vala. He'd never seen her look so serene, nor heard her sing. Her voice was soft and low and she smiled at the boy as she sang. Daniel didn't recognize the language of her song. For the first time since he'd known she was missing Daniel's body relaxed. All the pieces he'd been tossing around in his mind fell together. He was ready to admit he was in love and his only thought, now that he knew she was safe, was the hope that it wasn't too late for them.

Teal'c, Sam and Mitchell came up behind them. Seeing the two people on the grass they stopped saying nothing. But there must have been some small sound. Vala looked up, seeing her friends she put a finger to her mouth to shush them. Assuming that the crying woman with Daniel was Lauren's mother, Vala gestured to her to join them on the grass. As the woman sat next to her Vala pulled back enough to gently move the boy's head onto his mother's lap. Tears were pouring down the woman's face. She smiled and whispered "Thank you" to Vala.

Standing up and wiping her hands on her skirt Vala walked towards Daniel. She smiled "What took you so long, Darling?"

Daniel said nothing just put his arms around her and pulled her close against his chest.

Mitchell spoke first. "Fine. Fine. You can make your googly eyes later Jackson. Vala, what's goin' on here?"

Vala pulled herself free of Daniel and turned towards her friends. Sam gave her a quick hug and Teal'c the barest ghost of a smile and a slight nod. Mitchell just grinned at her.

"I think Lauren's Peter Pan and I'm Wendy. Which sort of makes me his mother." Looking down at the woman and boy in front of her she added, "Well, surrogate mother I guess." Turning her eyes from Lauren and his mother Vala glared at her friends. "Well, Sam? Mitchell? Did you guys figure it all out yet? I have some questions …"

"You have some questions? I think you owe us some answers Princess."

"Me! I was kidnapped by a small child, an out of phase child I'll admit. And pulled through a hill into Neverland."

"Kidnapped? Really Princess? What did he threaten you with? Pouting? You should be used to that by now with Jackson. Or did he just use puppy dog eyes?"

Vala laughed. "No, he didn't scare me. But I knew Sam would want to find out about phasing children. Anyway, I'd had a bad day and I needed an adventure."

Daniel quietly asked. "So, did you have one?"

"They explained that no adult could come through the Wall and no child could go back home until they were old enough to return through the Portal. I said Lauren got under the Wall, so why didn't they all go under and return to the village. Everyone knew if they were caught and still had the ability they'd be pushed back into the Portal. Plus if they didn't stay here the village would be destroyed and it would be because of them. No one wanted to take the chance. The older ones controlled the youngest by explaining that even if they did find their parents they'd die along with everyone else."

Mitchell asked "So what have you been doing? And what did you plan on doing if we never found you or couldn't get you back?"

"I tried to help these poor children. It may sound like silly simple things, but they like to be read to, to be comforted if they fall, to be fussed over. All the little things that were taken from them. I thought I could be here for them until they were returned to their parents. I know something about having no family. I think I helped these children here now and I could help the ones that came next. So even if there was no adventure my life would have had purpose."

An obviously distressed Daniel spoke softly "You could have been stuck here. What would have happened then Vala? What would I have done?"

Vala answered angrily "Done Daniel? Done about what? I actually thought it would work out well. I'd be out of your hair, I'd have a new job and everyone would be happy!"

Daniel said nothing. He simply looked at her with his best puppy dog eyes. As usual Vala was mesmerized and found herself leaning into him as he pulled her close. As she snuggled against him he asked again. "What would I have done without you?"

Vala shook her head as if to clear her mind and stepped back away from him laughing. She turned to Sam pointing at Lauren and his mother. "Since it looks like I'm going to be fired here I'm thinking about starting a Day Care Center at SGC. What do you think? I'll have to talk to General Landry as soon as I get back. I think he'll …" She broke off her sentence as Daniel grabbed her hand and swung her around into his arms repeating his question. "What would I have done without you?"

Vala softly replied "You already said that Daniel." He let go of her hand and moved his hands to her face. Holding her head in place he kissed her. Vala responded passionately then quickly pulled back. Looking into his eyes she patted his cheek saying "I'm glad for you. I've been found and I'm going back. So now you won't have to try." She grinned at him and moved away from him. Daniel's body didn't move and his face showed surprise at her actions.

Vala smiled at the rest of her team. "Come on guys. I need to get home." She looked down at her outfit and twirled. "This dress is cute enough but hell to accessorize. And a little too reminiscent of Ver Isca for my taste." She headed back towards the breach in the Wall near the ruins.

Mitchell asked "Can't we go back through the Portal? We're all way past puberty."

"I wasn't sure about that. None of the kids know how it actually works. They'd told me the Powerful Ones had ways to punish people who broke the rules. They were terrified when I asked about going through. I figured it would be safer to wait a few years before I tried. Even now I'd be a little nervous. And since you cleared out Lauren's escape hatch we might as well make use of it."

Daniel's body came to life and he asked incredulously "Wait a few years? You were going to stay?"

Vala had been moving towards the way out when she heard his question. She stopped and moved towards him. She grabbed his shirt front with her fists. "Yes, Daniel. I was going to stay somewhere where I was wanted. Where I could do some good. Why wouldn't I stay?"

Daniel looked into her eyes and whispered. "Because …" He didn't know why he couldn't finish, why he couldn't say what he was thinking. Because I love you.

Vala sighed. "Not good enough Daniel. I'm sorry you got scared. I'm sorry you feel guilty because you told me to get out of your life and then I did. But you'll get over it soon enough. Everyone keeps telling me that I must be so strong. That I managed to live and survive being a host. But I'm just not that strong Daniel. I can't …" Tears started to fall and she wiped them off with the back of her hands. Taking a deep breath she smiled at him. "No need to rehash everything, Darling. We've been down this road too many times."

Vala turned away from Daniel and linked arms with Teal'c. "Come on Muscles. I want to see you squeeze through the exit."

Teal'c stopped and looked closely at Vala asking her. "Is this really what you want ValaMalDoran? To shut Daniel Jackson out of your life?"

"Shut him out? Shut him out? What the hell has he been …?"

Daniel interrupted her "?"

She gave him an angry look. "Yes, Daniel? What is it?"

"I just have one question. If you promise to tell me the truth I'll let you go if that's what you want."

Vala squinted in distrust. "All I have to do is tell the truth? I think I could make an exception just this once." She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.

Daniel smiled and walked over to her. He took her hands in his and pulled her towards him as he moved a few feet away from their friends.

Vala worked to keep her face expressionless as she anxiously awaited Daniel's question. She'd promised not to lie, a promise she was regretting.

Even as he'd spoken he wasn't sure what question he wanted answered. Did he want to know if she loved him? Did he want to know if she'd stay with him if he asked? Did he want to ask her to forgive him for how he'd acted? Suddenly he realized what he should ask. If she told the truth he'd go on from there.

"You do know that I love you?"

Vala didn't show her surprise at his question. She'd agreed to tell the truth so she nodded.

Daniel gave her a small tentative smile. "Do you …?"

Vala smiled inside but kept her face still. "You said one question Darling."

He took a deep breath. This was it. The most important conversation of his life. He'd never before felt at such a loss for words.

"I love you Vala. I'm terrified that you don't love me, or even if you do that you won't stay. I'm terrified that if you do stay something terrible will happen to you. You deserve so much more than I can ever give you. I've failed so many people in my life I'm terrified that I'll fail you. That I'll fail us. I'm terrified that you won't be able to forgive me for letting my fears come between us. I'm terrified …"

Vala gave him a megawatt smile and kissed him. "You can shut up now Daniel. We'll have the rest of our lives together to finish your groveling apologies. Let's go home."

Daniel returned her kiss then turned back towards their friends. "I love her! She loves me! Isn't that …"

Mitchell interrupted him. "Yes. We know. Everybody knows. Congratulations Mr. Obvious. Now let's blow this popsicle stand."

Sam laughed and Teal'c almost smiled as Daniel and Vala rejoined the group.

* * *

><p>Back at SGC<p>

When SG-1 had returned they weren't surprised to find Jack waiting in the Gate Room. In the past few months he'd been showing up ever few weeks to check on his friends. If most of his time was spent in Carter's lab it wasn't mentioned by anyone on base. It was unlikely that he noticed the smallest of smiles on the faces of SGC staff when they passed him in the hall on his way to her lab.

Jack walked into Daniel's office and saw his friend drinking a cup of coffee with what he thought Sam would describe as a pensive look. When he spoke his name Daniel looked over to the doorway.

"Danny Boy, you're looking a little pensive there."

Jack could tell something was troubling Daniel when he didn't react to his using the word pensive.

"Hi Jack. I'm okay." Daniel shook his head. "Actually I'm not."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Vala."

Jack started to feel anxious. All of their friends had been so happy for the two of them. Now he was terrified to ask what the problem was, afraid of the answer and what would probably be a lot of heartache and pain. Afraid to ask he simply waited.

"It's not just Vala. It's both of us." Looking at Jack as he spoke he imagined he saw fear though he had no idea why Jack would be scared. Ignoring it he continued. "She knows that I love her but she's scared. Scared that I'll tire of her, that I'll pull away or worse that I'll stay even though I no longer love her because I'd feel obligated. Part of it is that she doesn't believe she deserves to be happy. And I can certainly understand that. We both are terrified that our history of relationships that turned out badly will happen again. It's sort of funny. I was the one that thought she'd break my heart and abandon me if I ever let her in. It turns out she's more frightened then I ever was." With a sigh and a quiet sad smile he asked "Have any advice, Jack?"

"Did she tell you all of this?"

"No."

"Then how do you know what she's feeling? Maybe you're wrong and she …"

"I know Jack. I just can't figure out how to handle it. I realized that I'd come to my senses when she left. Not just because it terrified me that she'd be gone. I know that she wouldn't have gone, wouldn't have refused to put up with how I was acting unless she loved me."

A confused Jack asked "Are you sure? That sounds strange to me."

"Strange certainly describes Vala and Me. But forget that. Help me figure out how to convince her."

"Well, I have heard that women like grand romantic gestures. I've seen them in all those chick flicks Teal'c used to make us watch when he first discovered Earth movies."

'"What kind of gestures?"

"The usual. Sending hundreds of roses, proposing at sports events on the Jumbo Ron, any variety of extremely public expressions of love. That kind of crap."

As if in a cartoon Jack saw Daniel's eye open wide obviously so struck by an idea that he could almost see the light bulb above his friend's head. He put down his coffee cup, got out of his chair and walked towards the door.

"I'll catch you later Jack. I've got to see a man about tangible expression of love and commitment."

Sam and Teal'c were coming through the door together. Daniel pushed past them without acknowledging they were even there.

"Hi guys. If Daniel asks us to go with him to anything, a game, concert, the Westminster Dog Show, do not say yes. No matter what he says."

Sam laughed as Teal'c asked, using air quotes. "Is DanielJackson planning a 'Grand Gesture' for ValaMalDoran?"

Jack just shook his head replying. "Yep, you betcha!"

* * *

><p>It was just past noon and the Commissary was at its most crowded. Vala, Teal'c, Mitchell, Sam, Jack and General Landry were standing together right inside the doorway.<p>

Mitchell asked. "Does anyone know why Jackson asked us to meet him here? All he told me was to be here at noon and to not be late."

Everyone shook their head no.

"Has anyone seen him today? Vala?"

Looking as confused as her friends she answered. "He left our room this morning before breakfast. He didn't even have coffee. Then made me promise to be here at twelve. He was very agitated and anxious. I was worried but he took off before I was able to ask him anything."

Sam said. "He stopped in to say hi, asked me to be here and to make sure that Jack was with me."

"He called me and left a message. How about the rest of you?"

General Landry and Jack spoke at the same time. "Me, too."

"Indeed. DanielJackson did the same to me."

Vala looked around the room searching for Daniel in the crowded room. She spotted Walter and yelled a question at him.

"Walter. Hey, Walter. Have you seen Daniel?"

"I saw him going into Dr. Lee's lab a few minutes ago."

Vala nodded her thanks and turned to the others. "This is a little odd. Even for my Daniel. Do you think …?"

Before she could finish Daniel walked in. He had his hands in his pockets and a wide smile on his face.

"Hi guys. Glad you all made it." They all gave him questioning looks which he ignored. After looking around the room he said. "It's pretty crowded here. Maybe we could meet in the Briefing Room?" Nodding at Landry "If that would be okay General."

"Of course Dr. Jackson. Do you want to give us an idea of what you want to meet about?"

"Sure, let's just move out of the way." As the group walked towards the door Daniel stopped them. "Wait a minute. Vala?"

Looking nervous she asked. "Yes, Daniel?"

"I think I'd do this while everyone's here." He took his hands out of his pockets and reached for her arm. In seconds he'd slapped a bracelet around her wrist and a second one on his own. He smiled at her confusion.

He laughed at her face when she figured it out. Then she was kissing him and laughing herself.

General Landry looked at the rest of them. "Grand Gesture I take it?"

"Indeed!"

* * *

><p>"So far my theory is that the Unknown Ones were involved in an experiment to create humans with the ability to phase in and out at will. At the moment I couldn't even venture a guess as to their method. Perhaps they were using genetic manipulation, rapid evolution, drug therapy, or technology to which we have no frame of reference."<p>

Looking to see if her audience was still with her Sam continued. "It appears their first step was to terrify the inhabitants so they would obey them without question and then take all of the children for test subjects. I'm thinking that they set up the walled enclosure as a holding pen or perhaps a breeding facility for the human Guinea Pigs. The force field they called the Wall kept the parents out and their work hidden."

Except for a nod from Landry there was no reaction from the group. "They seemed to have been successful, after who knows how much time, in developing the phasing ability in small children. However the ability disappeared when they hit puberty. I suspect the children were then returned to their families. Maybe they considered themselves benevolent and moral scientists. They didn't simply kill the children when they were no longer of scientific interest."

At this point Mitchell scowled and muttered curses under his breath.

"Soon the people on the planet believed that their children developed into spirits who could walk through solid matter at which time they needed to be sent through the Portal. Once they were normal humans they could return. This gave them a fresh supply of test subjects. I'd love to find out how they made the force field recognize children who could and could not phase. A lot of their science is fascinating."

Landry asked "How about after they left?"

"Once the project was terminated, for whatever reasons, they didn't care if they abandoned the subjects. They may have enjoyed playing the roles of all powerful beings. For now we have no understanding of their motives. It may have been simply scientific curiosity."

Landry continued to question Sam. "What about the power source for this Wall?"

"That's a very interesting question. There is some evidence that it's based on the geothermal activity of the planet. Obviously there is sophisticated technology involved in generating a power source that created such a complicated force field that lasted for hundreds of years. I don't have to tell anyone the enormous potential benefits."

"May I suggest that a team headed up by Dr. Lee be assigned to investigate?"

Sam smiled and nodded. "Of course, General."

Vala and Daniel weren't at the meeting. Five days after they'd returned they were married in front of the Star Gate. General Landry had officiated; Jack was the Best Man and Sam the Maid of Honor. Teal'c and Mitchell, together, had given her away. Rumor was that Walter cried. The Jacksons had been beamed to a small villa in Tuscany and wouldn't be returning for three weeks. Unknown to Daniel they would be joined for the last week by Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell. It was Jack's idea. He said he wanted to make sure that Daniel hadn't screwed things up yet. Everyone pretended they didn't know that Jack & Sam had planned a surprise wedding of their own. Except Daniel who didn't have to pretend as he was clueless.


End file.
